Assistant United States Attorney

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada has about 65 attorneys, with about 40 in Las Vegas and 10 in Reno.

Las Vegas is among the fastest growing areas in the Southwest. Known for entertainment and gaming, the area also abounds in recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities. With the influx of residents, Southern Nevada has affordable housing, expanded the public school system, and resulted in shopping and consumer services that surpass those of much larger cities. Cost of living is moderate, and there is no state income tax. Although known for its summer heat, our mild climate in the fall, winter, and spring provides an ideal place to enjoy the recreational activities year round. Las Vegas is within one hour of Mt. Charleston, Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, and the Lake Mead, and within a day's drive of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Lake Havasu, Death Valley, and several ski areas.

The Reno office serves as a branch office of the Nevada District, with a cross section of attorneys and support staff based in the office. Our office is in the midtown area of the city. Reno is the 4th most populous city in Nevada. Known as "The Biggest Little City in the World" Reno is renowned for its famous casinos and also abounds in outdoor recreational opportunities. The cost of living is moderate, and there is no state income tax. Reno is in close proximity to Sierra Nevada, Lake Tahoe, and numerous ski resorts.

Employment with the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Nevada offers a unique and challenging experience for the highly motivated attorney. Working in the Criminal Division, you will be part of a dedicated team helping to enforce Federal criminal laws.

Positions are available in both the Las Vegas and Reno Offices. Applicants should designate office of preference, if any.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Our office places a high value on diversity of experiences and perspectives and encourages applications from all qualified men and women from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBT individuals, and persons with disabilities.

Job Description:

This announcement is open from 8/29/2019 to 09/13/2019. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/13/2019 to receive consideration.

Assistant United States Attorneys in the Criminal Division are responsible for the investigation and prosecution of cases including drugs, human trafficking, organized crime, terrorism, white collar crimes, national security, immigration, child exploitation, frauds, Indian country, and violent and general crimes. Assistant United States Attorneys assigned to the Criminal Division must possess the qualities necessary to excel in their mission to enforce the criminal laws of the United States. These qualities include superior advocacy and communication skills, strong analytical ability, management and leadership potential, and an ability to work with others. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work in a supportive and professional manner with other attorneys, support staff, investigative agencies, witnesses, and crime victims. They must also demonstrate their willingness to meet the high ethical standards expected of prosecutors in their interactions with opposing counsel and the courts.Significant courtroom experience including jury trials is preferred. Successful candidates will also be computer proficient, capable of doing their own legal research and writing, and self-sufficient in preparing day-to-day correspondence and pleadings. Experience in grand jury and investigative techniques such as applying for various types of warrants, wiretaps, or experience with asset seizure and forfeiture is also desirable.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

J.D. degree and active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction) required.

Required Qualifications:
Applicants must possess a J.D. Degree, be an active member of the bar (any U.S. jurisdiction), and have at least 1-year post-J.D. legal or other relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:
The ideal candidate will have three or more years of post-J.D. experience. The candidate should possess excellent legal research and writing skills and demonstrate superior organization and public presentation abilities. The candidate should also have significant computer and computer software literacy and familiarity with criminal procedure, in particular Fourth Amendment law and the use of other investigative tools. Candidates should have an outstanding academic record and litigation experience, including exceptional courtroom skills.

You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Type of Position:All initial attorney appointments to the Department of Justice are made on a 14 month (temporary) basis pending favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Security Requirements: Initial appointment is conditioned upon a satisfactory pre-employment adjudication. This includes fingerprint, credit and tax checks, and drug testing. In addition, continued employment is subject to a favorable adjudication of a background investigation.

Residency Requirements: Assistant United States Attorneys generally must reside in the district to which he or she is appointed or within 25 miles thereof. See 28 U.S.C. 545 for district-specific information.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.

Salary:

The range of pay is $62,973 to $161,500 per year which includes locality pay.

Required, if applicable - A recent copy of an SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), showing title, series, grade, and current salary; and a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Required, if applicable - To get Veterans' Preference, you must indicate your preference in response to the appropriate question in your assessment questionnaire and you must submit the appropriate supporting documentation. See the "How you will be Evaluated" section for details regarding what is appropriate Veterans' Preference documentation. It is also recommended that you include veterans' preference information in your cover letter or resume.

Application Deadline:

Friday, September 13, 2019

Relocation Expenses:

Relocation expenses will not be paid.

Number of Positions:

Few vacancies

Updated September 10, 2019

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Department Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity: The U.S. Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer. Except where otherwise provided by law, there will be no discrimination because of color, race, religion, national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability (physical or mental), age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, pregnancy, status as a parent, or any other nonmerit-based factor. The Department of Justice welcomes and encourages applications from persons with physical and mental disabilities. The Department is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department of Justice. For more information, please review our full EEO Statement.

Reasonable Accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Outreach and Recruitment for Qualified Applicants with Disabilities: The Department encourages qualified applicants with disabilities, including individuals with targeted/severe disabilities to apply in response to posted vacancy announcements. Qualified applicants with targeted/severe disabilities may be eligible for direct hire, non-competitive appointment under Schedule A (5 C.F.R. § 213.3102(u)) hiring authority. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact one of the Department’s Disability Points of Contact (DPOC) to express an interest in being considered for a position. See list of DPOCs.

Suitability and Citizenship: It is the policy of the Department to achieve a drug-free workplace and persons selected for employment will be required to pass a drug test which screens for illegal drug use prior to final appointment. Employment is also contingent upon the completion and satisfactory adjudication of a background investigation. Congress generally prohibits agencies from employing non-citizens within the United States, except for a few narrow exceptions as set forth in the annual Appropriations Act (see, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/non-citizens/). Pursuant to DOJ component policies, only U.S. citizens are eligible for employment with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, U.S. Trustee’s Offices, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unless otherwise indicated in a particular job advertisement, qualifying non-U.S. citizens meeting immigration and appropriations law criteria may apply for employment with other DOJ organizations. However, please be advised that the appointment of non-U.S. citizens is extremely rare; such appointments would be possible only if necessary to accomplish the Department's mission and would be subject to strict security requirements. Applicants who hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country will be considered on a case-by-case basis. All DOJ employees are subject to a residency requirement. Candidates must have lived in the United States for at least three of the past five years. The three-year period is cumulative, not necessarily consecutive. Federal or military employees, or dependents of federal or military employees serving overseas, are excepted from this requirement. This is a Department security requirement which is waived only for extreme circumstances and handled on a case-by-case basis.

Veterans: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of Justice considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include that information in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., the DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty and other supporting documentation) to their submissions. Although the "point" system is not used, per se, applicants eligible to claim 10-point preference must submit Standard Form (SF) 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference, and submit the supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed (visit the OPM website, www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf for a copy of SF 15, which lists the types of 10-point preferences and the required supporting document(s). Applicants should note that SF 15 requires supporting documentation associated with service- connected disabilities or receipt of nonservice-connected disability pensions to be dated 1991 or later except in the case of service members submitting official statements or retirement orders from a branch of the Armed Forces showing that his or her retirement was due to a permanent service-connected disability or that he/she was transferred to the permanent disability retired list (the statement or retirement orders must indicate that the disability is 10% or more).

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This and other vacancy announcements can be found under Attorney Vacancies and Volunteer Legal Internships. The Department of Justice cannot control further dissemination and/or posting of information contained in this vacancy announcement. Such posting and/or dissemination is not an endorsement by the Department of the organization or group disseminating and/or posting the information.